Sunday, March 7, 2004

THE BATMAN UPDATE

Kids' WB! announced Saturday that it will stage a preview of its upcoming series, The Batman, this Saturday.

The network is using a similar sneak-peek approach that it used last year with Teen Titans.

The Batman will air on Kids' WB! first, then also air on Cartoon Network.

In other The Batman news:

* The first line of action figures from the series should be hitting stores by late July. There will be eight figures in the first assortment.

Jeff Matsuda, art director for the series, said on his web site that he is pleased with how the toys are turning out. "The Four Horsemen did an awesome job on the Batman sculpt," Matsuda said. "It was great to see what we've all been workin' on come to life as a toy. When I first saw the Joker sculpt I almost wet my pants, they captured his personality perfectly."

* Look for more on the show soon here in The Continuum.

CROSSGEN INTRODUCES RAVEN HOUSE

At its panel at MegaCon in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, CrossGen Entertainment announced Raven House, a six-issue gothic thriller by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Leonardo Manco that will launch in June.

"Featuring a gutsy young heroine, a tragic romance and dark deeds done at the crossroads, Raven House is a creepy gothic thriller in the grand tradition of the Brontes and Henry James," Dixon said.

"Summoned to England's wild Cornish coastline, beautiful Meredith Park arrives at the bleak and remote Raven House to serve as a governess for the son of the brooding and handsome Lord Dalamar. But the manor and all around it seems to lie under a curse ... and Meredith is compelled to uncover the many long-buried secrets she finds there. Perfectly cast for this type of story, Leonardo Manco is eating the setting up. Every panel drips with uneasiness and dread."

"Chuck's exception vision for Raven House includes an atmosphere and storytelling comparable to the best of Edgar Allen Poe's tales, such as The Fall of the House of Usher," Manco said. "Because the fantastic story goes beyond conventional comic-book limits, I'm striving to deliver a completely different and fascinating vision."

Dixon said that, like El Cazador, Raven House is an example of what CrossGen does best, exploring genres not often seen in comics.

"There's a great big world of fiction out there, and we want to reach audiences that may have been left behind but still crave these different types of stories," Dixon said.

CROSSGEN MOVIE ROUNDUP

Way of the Rat, believed to be the first CrossGen Entertainment property to break into film or television, is edging closer to becoming a feature film.

Veteran filmmaker Chuck Russell is writing and directing Way of the Rat for DreamWorks.

"I've read the third and final rewrite, and it's awesome," said Way of the Rat comics writer Chuck Dixon of Russell's script. "Jeff Johnson and I locked ourselves in an office -- that's the only way we could read it -- and read the whole thing.

"I'm really thrilled. Chuck Russell, he's as enthusiastic about the project as we are, and he's a money-making director -- which is something I like."

Dixon noted that Way of the Rat is progressing quickly. "But it still gets frustrating," he said. "It still have a mountain of Hollywood types to go through."

CrossGen's Bill Rosemann said he hears regularly from Michael Uslan, whose Branded Entertainment represents CrossGen in film and television deals.

"There are over a dozen things in the hopper, all in different stages of development," Rosemann said. "We're just waiting until things get all cemented, and all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed before we say too much.

"The good news is there definitely is demand for this stuff. There's meetings going on all the time."

Way of the Rat and Meridian, being written as a CGI film by Bob Gale, are both recently cancelled titles. Rosemann said none of CrossGen's titles has been forgotten.

"When the movie happens, that's when we'll bring the book back," he said.

BRIEFLY

Allison Mack, who plays Chloe on Smallville, appeared at MegaCon on Saturday for a pair of signing sessions. She is scheduled to appear on Sunday as well.

Coming Monday: News from MegaCon -- and much more!!!

COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES

In case you missed The Continuum's recent coverage, here are some links: